Student Lets in Cathays and Roath: Your Summer Turnaround Plan
Most student houses in Cardiff change hands over the same few summer weeks. Furniture suppliers, cleaners, trades and waste carriers all get busy at once, so the landlords who plan ahead are the ones whose houses are ready on day one.
February to March: plan
- Do a mid-year inspection and note furniture that won’t last another year, such as sagging mattresses, broken drawers and stained sofas.
- Check when safety certificates are due: the EICR, the annual gas safety record and smoke and CO alarm checks.
- If your HMO is in an additional licensing area such as Cathays or Plasnewydd (Roath), check your licence renewal date.
- Get furniture quotes now, before the summer rush.
April to May: book
- Confirm move-out and move-in dates with outgoing and incoming tenants.
- Book clearance, cleaning, repairs and furniture delivery for the gap in between. Write the dates down and share them with everyone.
- Order replacement items so they arrive before the changeover, not during it.
June to July: the changeover
- Check-out: walk through against the inventory and take dated photos.
- Clear: remove anything left behind and any furniture you are replacing, using a registered waste carrier. Don’t leave items on the street; side waste fines apply.
- Repair: fix doors, handles, sealant, decoration and so on.
- Safety: test alarms and complete any certificates that are due.
- Clean: do a professional clean once the trades have finished.
- Furnish: get the new items delivered and assembled.
August to September: ready to let
- Do a final walk-through and fire safety label check.
- Write a fresh inventory with photos.
- Prepare the keys, the welcome pack and the meter readings.
Tips from experience
- Standardise your spec. If every room has the same bed, desk and wardrobe, swaps are simple.
- Budget for mattresses. Student mattresses rarely last more than a few years. Waterproof protectors help.
- Desks matter. Students compare houses on study space.
- Use one supplier for clearance and furniture where you can. One booking and one van means fewer things to go wrong.
We offer rubbish removal and furniture packages, so the clear-out and the refit can be booked together.
Need a rental furnished quickly? uBee supplies landlord furniture packages across Cardiff and South Wales, delivered and assembled on site. See our landlord packages or call 029 2294 0071.